Dough divider



Sept. 9, 1952 J. E. POINTON 2,609,765

DOUGH DIVIDER Filed May 18, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l /NvEN-ra J. E.v PolNToN Sept. 9, 1952 DOUGH DIviDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May 18, 1948 NVENT'OIZ. JOHN EDWARD Pa/Nranh A TroRh/E Y,

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 Doven mvmEa John Edward Pointon, Peterborough, England,

assignor to Baker Perkins Incorporated, Saglnaw, Mich.

Application May 18, 1948, Serial No. 27,746 In Great Britain June 6, 1947 3 Claims.

travel together for a proportion of their stroke after which the knife proceeds to cut on the dough in the top box from the hopper in advance of the completion of the stroke of the ram.

The aim of the present invention is to provide improvements whereby: the dough is subjected to a substantially constant pressure through the charging operation and the ram has a constant length of stroke, irrespective of the weight of dough divided; the adjustment of the device for different weights is of a simple character; the filling of the ram chamber or top box with dough on the return stroke of the ram and cut-olf `knife is unrestricted, and the action of the ram in both directions is smooth, eliminating any need for a dashpot. i

The invention consists in providing novel means for displacing the ram and knife on the charging stroke together for a proportion of the stroke determined by the adjustment of positive stop means for arresting the ram, allowing the knife to proceed to cut ofi the hopper dough, releasing the stop when cut-off has occurred to allow the ram to move forward to ll the waiting division boxes or pockets, under the action of residual pressure stored in the spring through which motion is communicated to the ram throughout the charging stroke; and finally retracting the knife and ram in substantial coincidence to afford unrestricted entry for the dough into the top box from the hopper.

The invention also comprises a divider of the type described including: an operating lever or member common to the ram and knife by which the knife is positively displaced while the ram is displaced resiliently through spring means, as by connecting the ram to one end of a bell-crank lever pivoted. on the common lever and having a spring acting on the other end of the bellcrank lever; an abutment associated with the ram and longitudinally adjustable;` a trippable stop with which the abutment engages, and means for tripping the stop as the knife completes or nearly completes cutting off the dough from the hopper. i

In the preferred arrangement the knife is mounted such that its stroke is somewhat longer than the ram stroke to compensate for the re covery of the ram on the return stroke and permit the ram face and knife edge to be retracted in substantial coincidence.

Further advantages achieved by the invention are that: knock and shock is eliminated., as the ram spring is mainly unstressed before the knife, owing to its longer stroke, is released from under the hopper frame, and allows the ram to commence the return stroke; and a simplification of apparatus is afforded by the single common operating lever which is oscillated by cam means for imparting displacements to `the knife and ram.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side View of a dough divider ac'- cording to the invention being a vertical longitudinal section on line I-I of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is an end view, in elevation.

Figure 3 is a partial top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and

Figure 4 is a side view of my preferred trip lever locking and releasing device as seen in the direction of the arrows 44, Fig. 2, being the rear side of Fig. l.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one mode, a ramI is mounted for reciprocation in a ram chamber or top box 2 below the opening 3 in the dough hopper 4, and between the ram and the hopper a sliding knife 5 is positioned. At the inner end of thetop box a displaceable division` box 6 or division pocket member of known character is provided, either with or without a die-plate.

Below the ram chamber an operating lever 'i is mounted to pivot on a shaft 8. `The lever I -comprises spaced members la, 'Ib and on one of these there is mounted a cam roller 9 engaging a cam Ill while an extension II of the member 'Ib hasa roller I2 engaging a charging cam I3. The cams IIland I3 are fixed on the cam shaft lli and through their respective rollers cause a positive pivotal movement ofthe lever I in both directions. I I

At its upper end the lever 1 lies adjacent the plane of the knife 5 and is connected thereto by a suitable link or links I5. At an appropriate position below the upper free end of the operating lever 1, a bell-crank lever I6, II is pivoted, the upright arm IE of which is coupled by a connecting rod I3 to the ram I. The lateral arm I'I of the bell-crank lever is engaged by a resilient compression spring I9. An abutment ZI! is pivotally mounted upon and between a pair of arms 2I integral with the boss 22 of the lever 1. Spring I9 is` kept in a state of perpetual compression by the member I'I and the abut-ment 20.

Theconnecting rod I8 operates as a slideway for an abutment block or member 23 constituting a stop means for the ram, which means is disacuarela placeable on the slideway by a screwthreaded spindle 24 mounted in the adjacent end of the arm I6 of the ram-operating bell-crank lever, a manipulating handle or wheel 25 being provided at the outer end of the screwthreaded spindle.

The lower part of the forward face 23o of the abutment 23 is adapted to engage `a stop or trip member which is introduced in its path to arrest the ram at a predetermined point in its charging stroke. The stop member may comprise a bellcrank lever 25, 2l secured on rock shaft 28 below the top box 2, the lower arm 21 of which lever carries a roller 2S engaged witha trip-actuator, such as cam 36, mounted on the cam shaft lli. The roller .29 is held in contact with the trip cam E@ by a spring 3i anchored to a stationary part of the machine casing. The other arm 2G of the stop lever is formed as a nose 28a for stopping engagement with the abutment 23.

The communication between the dough hopper ii and the top box 2 takes place through an opening ii which is substantially the same Width as the stroke of theram I while the margin of the opening adjacent the division box 6 is sufficientlyY wide to permit of a short period of travel of the knife edge after it has cut ofi. ,Y

Owing to the relative-positions of the connections I and It to the knife and the ram to the common operating lever l, the knife has a somewhat longer travei than the ram, and the knife as it is directly connected t/o the lever 'I is positively operated in both directions, while the ram E due to its connection tothe spring-pressed bell-crank lever i5, I l operates on the dough through the constant pressure of the spring I9.

rThe cam 3i? for tripping the stop lever 26, 2l .is of such a form and is so timed that the nose 2te lies in the way of the abutment 23 when' the ram i is making the early part of its operative stroke. The abutment 23 is adjusted on the connecting rod I8 by manipulation of the'handwheel 25 according to the weight of dough divided-for l-lb, or Z-Ib. loaves, for example. The tripping cam 33 is also of such a form that the nose 26o is tripped or retracted from its engagement with the abutment 23 when the knife e has just out olf or is nearly finishing itsmovement at the margin of the hopper referred to above. Y

in operation, the charging cam i3 swings ythe common operating lever l forward i.l e. counterclockwise in. Figure l, and the ram I and knife 5 move on the charging stroke together with the forward edge of the knife substantially in line with the face of the ram. Forward movement of the ram continues until its abutment 23 meets the trip stop 2te, when it is arrested, while the common operating lever' l and knife 5 continue their forward movement. This action compresses or stores energy in the spring I9 acting on vthe ram bell-crank lever I6, il. When the forward edge of the knife '5 has moved across the hopper opening 3 and cut on the dough, the trip cam 3U retraots the stop 2da and releases the abutment when the stored energy in the spring I 9 sharply acts upon the ram I'and forces it to complete its charging stroke and push the dough from the top box 2 into the division boX which has arrived in the aligned position. On the return stroke the first action is to retract the knife E from the marginal portion of the hopper opening and bring it into line withthe forward face of the ram I, when the latter and the knife proceed rearwardly together, progressively opening the top box 2 to the dough of the hopper 4 to the full extent without any throttling action. The knife and ram move rearwardly until they reach their initial position adjacent the rearward side of the hopper opening 3 ready for commencing the next charging stroke.

In order to avoid possible damage should the rain be operated in the absence of dough in the Y hopper and top box, automatic safety means are provided for rendering the releasable trip lever or release means 26, 2l ineffective. These means comprise an arm $2 secured to the rock shaft 28 adapted to be engaged by a pivoted trip plate 33, Fig. 4, which is held in the operative position by a retaining spring Se. The trip plate is provided with an actuating arm or manually operable lever having a knob 36.

Figure iV shows the trip plate engaging the arm 32 and thus holding the trip lever 25, 2'! out of action.V

During normal operation with dough in the hopper t and top box 2, the stroke of the ram I will be shortened as it will not move to the full extent of travel on its operative stroke owing to the resistance of the dough after the division box Si, is charged.V During such operation the Y point 32a of the arm 32 will slide along the face 33a of the trip plate and the trip lever 26, 2l will remain under the control of the cam 39.

When the hopper d is empty the ram I will nieve through its full stroke with the result that the inclined surface Si on theblook .'ii'carried by the lever it will engage the nose 253s of the trip lever or release means and cause said lever to move to a position in which the roller 2 is lifted off the cam 3E. At the same time the'rocking of the shaft 2S will cause the lowering o f the arm 32 to an extent such that the point 32a will slide ofi the face 33o and become engaged by the proiection 33o whereby the arm is looked lwhereby the trip lever Z5, El is rendered inoperative. When a fresh supply of dough is placed inthe hopper the arm 33 is released manually by the operator moving the arm 35 by the knob 3%, bringing the trip lever 2E, 2l again into normal operation.

From the foregoing escription it will be apparent that invention, novelty and utility are present in the disclosed arrangement of the abutment .stop 23 or its equivalent which holds ram I at a predetermined position in its stroke until knife 5 cuts off the supply, whereupon the stop is released and the ram then proceeds under the energy stored up in the spring iii.

.l claim:

l. A dough. dividing machine comprising in combination: a frame; a cam and means rotatably supporting said cam on said frame; a ram and means reciprocably mounting said ram on said frame; an operating lever and means pivotally mounting said lever on said frame; means cooperating with said cani for effecting Vpivotal. motion of said lever upon rotation of'said cam;

including resilient yieldable means, comprising energy storage means, connecting a portion of said lever remote from its point of pivotal mounting to saidy cam and an abutment member movable with said yieldable means; a stop member and means movably mounting stop member on said frame in the path of motion of said abutment member; another and means rotatably mounting same onto said frame Vand means responsive to rotation of said last named cam for retracting said stop member out of the path of said abutment member; i cams being so shaped and so related to each other that said rst namedkcam will effect pivotal movement of said operating lever toward said stop member and said abutment will engage said stop membef, and said cam will then effect continued movement of said lever for effecting energy storage inV said resilient member, after which said second cam will effect withdrawal of said stop member out of engagement with said abutment member; whereby the energy stored within said resilient member will eiect a continuation of the motion of said ram member Without further movement of said operating lever.

2. Apparatus as described in claimlwherein said abutment member is mounted directly on the meansiconnectlng said ram to said operating lever and is mounted between said ram and said energylstorage means.

3. A device as described in claim 1 including also: an automatic safety device for said trip member comprising an arm on said rockfshaft;

a plvotally mounted spring-retained trip plate; a block on said coupling means positioned to engage and to move the nose of said trip member out of contact with the said actuator and simultaneously to move the said arm into locking engagement with said trip plate; and a manually operable means for releasing said safety device.

J O-HN EDWARD POINTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,738,935 Streich 1 Dec. 10, 1929 2,038,733 Harger et al Apr. 28, 1936 2,408,602 Bowker Oct. 1, 1946 2,408,679 Palmer Oct. 1, 1946 

